Friday, December 30, 2011

Every year around Christmas my family has a holiday party. Every year we've done something different, and it is so much fun.
Two years ago we had an Ugly Sweater Party.

The whole fam went out to dinner in our festive attire. People thought we had just come from family pictures...seriously people? I mean I know we look good...
Last year we had a s'mores bar and a hot chocolate bar and created a memorable music video.

This year we took celebrations to a whole new level.

We put on our craziest socks and favorite 'staches and partied it up. We had dinner, our annual donut on a string competition for the kids, and a cut throat bunko tourney.

I haven't laughed so hard in a while. We had mustaches of all shapes, sizes, and colors, and finger staches that took things to the next level.

Party health tip? Make your prizes non-food/candy related. My mom had some awesome prizes for the winners...itunes giftcards, money, and fireworks.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Here comes the new year right around the corner.
And I already am committed to one of my goals for the year.

Run another marathon.
I'm registered, which means I'm committed.
I am trying to forget that I swore to myself at mile 20 of the Salt Lake City Marathon in 2009 that I would never find myself in that position again. Funny how the amazing experience of finishing something so tough can change your thought process. Crossing the finish line of marathon is one of the coolest experiences ever. The end.

So, Utah Valley Marathon 2012 here I come. This time I get to do it with my fabulous sister.

This means we'll have a whole new segment of See Megan Run as I document my training process. I can't wait?

Who's with me? I know some of you are running the same race! Let me know if you're going to be trekking through this process alongside me.

Christmas day was full of family food and fun. All of the things Christmas should be about. After our Christmas morning of presents we headed off to church.

We of course came home and had to take Christmas pics in our Sunday best. I miss my Texan sis!

My nephew LOVES my dad, and my dad feels the same way. It is so dang cute. They are buds.

After we took some photos we headed over to my sister's house for our traditional breakfast of Abelskivas, or Danish Pancakes. They have got to be one of the tastiest delights in this world. They aren't healthy in the slightest...but come Christmas morning it is time to enjoy!

I was enlisted to help mom cook!

We fully support apple products.

We spent the rest of the day just hanging out and playing games, the way a Christmas day should be spent.

I tell ya...these people are the greatest. I am the luckiest girl in the whole world to have SUCH a great family. I wouldn't trade them for anything. Not even a lifetime supply of frozen yogurt and diet dr. pepper. That is saying a lot. ;)

Do you have any foods that you have only once in a while that are worth the calories? There are a few for me. I do think there is a fine line between finding an excuse to eat whatever you want and having a real special occasion though. Do you enjoy being with your family on the holidays? I know I sure do!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

I'm having the best time with my fam....which means I'm not sitting behind my computer the whole time. It also means you get the holiday in retrospect. I love it because that means I get to relive it alllll over again.

Christmas Morning was Fabulous.

My sister and her three darling little ones drove in from Texas the day before...and because Santa would have had a very hard time finding them in a different state they wrote a letter to Santa asking him to come a day early ;)

We still had a plethora of presents for them to open, so basically they got double Christmas Morning. AWESOME.
Side note: Christmas morning photos are my favorite. Everyone always looks their best.

My darling nephew got a Woody that perfectly matched his PJ's. So cute.

The whole fam was excited about my dad's gift to my mom. Her computer is from the stone age...I think it might still use dial up ;)

I was THRILLED about my gifts from Santa! A new 50 mm lens for my camera and an iPhone4. Ohhhh glorious. Instagram is the best. Do you have it?

Oh, and I can't get enough of this sweet face.

What was your favorite gift from Christmas? I am torn between the phone and the lens right now...I have wanted both forEVER...so I think my excitement won't be wearing off anytime soon.

30 second sprint (as fast as you can go)
90 seconds ab work
30 second sprint
90 seconds ab work

Done!

I also made it a point to record my calories today. EVERY. SINGLE. BITE. It is the best thing to get me back on track as far as my eating goes. I highly recommend it if you feel like you are needing a kick in the pants in the right direction.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Merry Christmas Eve! What a fabulous day it has been...There really is nothing better than being with family. We spent the morning finishing up Christmas errands and then we went to see Mission Impossible. We have been going to movies on Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember. It is a favorite tradition of mine.

We followed up the evening with Christmas Eve dinner at Brio, another tradition I love.

My mom and I shared the Chicken with Sweet Potato Risoto...ummmm...it was DIVINE.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Merry Christmas Adam! One of my clients has a family tradition where they celebrate as a family on December 23rd and have a "Christmas Adam" party...because before Eve came Adam. Isn't that a fun idea? I love hearing other families fun traditions!

This morning my mom and I wrapped presents like elves in Santa's workshop. After that we spent the rest of the day making final Christmas purchases! It was fun to run all over with her! As our shopping was drawing to a close we started getting hungry and decided some warm soup would be PERFECT for dinner. I requested butternut squash soup, and as we were looking for a squash the man at the store told us to try the butternut squash cubes that are in the frozen section. We were a little weary, but decided to give it a shot. It was a GREAT decision. The meal came together in moments and it was healthy and delicious!

Cook your butternut squash or thaw frozen butternut squash. Heat up two cans of chicken stock, pureed onion, ginger in a large pot. Add to that your cooked squash. Put this mixture into your blender and puree it, or you can use an immersion blender in the pot. In a separate sauce pan melt 1/4 cup of butter. Add to that 1/3 cup of flour and stir that with a whisk to make your roux. Add two cups of fat free half and half to the roux and heat that through. Whisk it the entire time until it's warm. You don't want it to sit or it will burn in the bottom. Add the roux back to the stock pot until mixture is warm. If needed you can add more buttermilk to thicken it. Add salt and pepper to taste.

and so on and so forth...until you get to one! Get it?
It keeps your heart rate up pretty high, but if you'd like to add an extra challenge you could throw in a 1-2 minute sprint in between each, "day"

I'm exhausted...ready for bed...and ready to NOT wake up to an alarm tomorrow. WAHOO! Tomorrow will be full of helping my mom with finishing touches for Christmas!

Don't forget...you have until this Saturday, December 24th to enter the Ultimate December Mix Giveaway...in which I'm giving away a copy of a mix from each month this year.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Every year trying to find a gift for my clients is so hard for me. I, of COURSE, would love to buy them each a treadmill, a BlendTec, some new running shoes, and individual spa treatments; however, I would then be far past broke. Maybe one day clients? ;)

The past few years I have given them each a batch of my FAVORITE low fat Zucchini Cookies. They are still my absolute favorite cookie, but I wanted to shake it up this year. I decided to give them another favorite of mine that is SO healthy and delicious...Fresh Homemade Salsa.

Salsa is one of the best tools when it comes to eating healthy because it is so flavorful, and very low on calories. Most salsa's have 5-10 calories per serving. I love salsa on salad, over chicken, on a baked potato, or with oven baked tortilla chips. There is just nothing like fresh salsa. It's SO good! Plus it's red and green. What is more festive than that?

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Oh my goodness I am SO excited about this! I've been thinking about it all year :) Ok, maybe not that long, but for a while. It is time for December's mix giveaway, but there is a little added bonus this go round!

So many fun new songs...SO...the twist? For December's mix giveaway you will not only get this month's mix, but you will get a copy of the 11 other mixes from this year. Over two hundred something songs!!

To enter...
1) Become a follower, and leave a comment telling me you are one!
2) For an additional entry...tell me what you want for Christmas!
3) For even more entries...Tweet (and comment) Blog about it (and comment) or Post it on Facebook (and comment)

Saturday, December 17, 2011

I have a darling nephew who loves baked goods more than anyone I know. He's adorable, and for his birthday every year he requests this Cinnamon Bun Cake. It would be a great addition to any holiday party, and is absolutely phenomenal served warm with a scoop of Dreyer's Grand light Vanilla. It would make a perfect Christmas Eve treat, and I think Santa would appreciate it, just saying.

FYI: This recipe is one that my family has modified to lighten it up. I am posting the original recipe and the changes that I made to make it lighter!

Cinnamon Bun Cake

Ingredients for cake:

1 pkg yellow cake
mix (You could use a sugar free version here, but we just use the normal)

1 3 ¾ oz vanilla pudding (We go with the fat free/sugar free option)

2 Tbs Oil (We use applesauce here and it makes it moist and SO good)

1 1/3 cup water

2 eggs (Replace these with 4 egg whites or egg beaters)

Ingredients for streusel:

*You only end up using about half of this streusel topping, so although the brown sugar may seem high, you won't use it all.

½ cup flour

1 ½ cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 TBS butter - I omit this completely. The streusel works just fine without it.
And check here for any current coupons before you shop for these ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350
degrees. In a large bowl, blend cake mix, pudding, applesauce, water, and egg whites.
Beat 2 mins at medium speed. Do not over mix. Spread1/2 batter evenly in a 9X13
inch pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Combine streusel ingredients and sprinkle a good layer of the mix over batter in 9X13 pan.
Spread remaining batter on top, and then top that batter with an even coat of streusel. Bake at 35-40 mins
or until done. Top with glaze while warm. This cake keeps really well and stays moist if you cover it, so you could even make this the night before a big party and warm slices up in the microwave for a few seconds before serving.

This is a great lighter option if you are looking for a warm and tasty holiday dessert.

This week in review...

- I got an iPhone. Best thing ever. I am obsessed with Instagram.

- I feel like I have BARELY been home. Work. Gym. Family. Friends. Christmas-ing. Chaos.

- Heathered gray seemed to be the theme. Yep...my pj's were an oversized men's sweatshirt, leggings, and some knee high sweater slippers. I go for comfort.

- I'm LOVING clementines as a snack these days. I love oranges, but hate to peel them, and clementines peel so easily. They are also perfectly portable.

- I ran a pain-free 6.3 miles today, and it felt better than running has felt in a long time. I attribute this to A) having music to listen to once again (thank you iPhone) and B) a SWEET Rockmyrun playlist. If you haven't checked it out yet you REALLY really should.

- I CANNOT believe Christmas Eve is a week away. I am so excited. Are you ready?

Do you leave out a treat for Santa Clause? If not, you should start this year. I hear the big guy reeaaallly like Cinnamon Bun Cake. Are you feeling the holiday stress? It's about that time.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Can you believe it is already December 13th? I can't, but I am excited to be so close to Christmas! Today brings with it my last holiday health tip! If you have missed the other 11 you can read them HERE. I hope that they have made you think about making your holidays just a little more healthy this year!

Let's be honest, the holidays are to be enjoyed! I fully believe that you can enjoy your holidays without overdoing it and gaining ten pounds. It is all about moderation. I know it may be difficult to see an entire bag of the "seasonal" Cadbury Chocolate Balls and not devour them out of a fear you may not make it until they reappear at Easter in mini egg form, BUT you can do it. All you need to do is be smart the choices you are making. Try to get in your workouts, drink a lot of water, get some sleep, and try not to go hog wild at your holiday parties you will be fine! It is ok to indulge every now and again, but the problems come when we feel like we deserve to indulge all the time. Remember the hard work you have put in to get where you are. Enjoy your family, enjoy your holiday parties, and enjoy your favorite goodies...but at the same time...enjoy your workouts, enjoy good healthy food, and make your family activities active ones! Do this and this holiday season will be a happy and HEALTHY one for you and your loved ones!

How do you incorporate moderation into your holiday season? Do you find it hard to do, or are you able to indulge a little and keep up with your workouts?

Monday, December 12, 2011

I have heard so many people talking about the great things they are doing to help serve others this holiday season, and I love it. It makes me so happy. There are so many people who are struggling, and taking the time out of our busy schedules to do something for someone else can be life changing. I have mentioned before that I think a big part of our health is the love we feel. Well, I think an even bigger part of our health is the love we share.

It has been said by so many people that if you are feeling low, sad, depressed, or unhappy...the best thing that you can do is go serve someone else. I think Christmastime is the perfect time to do it. Make it a family effort. Make it a tradition. My parents are a great example of service to me, and in the past my family has done things like participate in sub for santa, volunteered at the food coalition, and secretly given lonely individuals the twelve days of Christmas to lift their spirits. It is amazing how great you feel when you turn your focus away from yourself and try to do something for somebody in need. It can even be as easy as spending time with a friend or saying hello to a stranger. Take time this holiday season to serve. It will help your health.

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by
what we give. ~Winston Churchill

It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a
difference. ~Tom Brokaw

Go the extra mile. It's never crowded. ~Author Unknown

Do you have any service traditions? Do you feel better when you are giving service to the people around you?
Click HERE to read the rest of this month's Holiday Health Tips

Sunday, December 11, 2011

We are exactly two weeks away from Christmas Day! It is at this point that i turn into a ten year old and bust out the paper chain, start begging people to watch cheesy holiday movies with me, and go full court press with the Holiday tunes.

With the days until Christmas diminishing, all of the Christmas shopping has begun to get CRAZY. I love Christmas shopping! Well, I love any shopping, but it is always fun to try and find great things for the people you love with the excitement of getting to see them open it! If you are still looking for great things to give your friends and family, consider giving them the gift of health. Think about it, good health is something that we want most for ourselves and for all of the people that we love, so why not make your gifts healthy ones this year!

Remember my Bondi Band?These headbands are awesome to workout out in, and would make a great gift. I absolutely love mine!

- a pass to your local gym, a punch card for fitness classes, or sessions with a personal trainer
- MUSIC!!
(an iPod, headphones, a gift card for music)
- a set of free weights for home
- a TRX trainer
- a medicine ball
- a jump rope
- a massage
- a gift certificate to a health foods store
- healthy cooking items (Here is a list of my kitchen favorites if you are looking for good gifts for healthy cooking gadgets!)
- health books/magazines/dvds
- gift cards to healthy restaurants

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Food. Food. Food. I know I've already brought up the fact that food seems to be within six inches of your reach at all moments during the month of December. I'm sure you can relate to the feeling of ending your evening feeling like a stuffed Thanksgiving turkey. For the record, I HATE that feeling, and yet it still happens from time to time. Sometimes feeling stuffed like that at night can lead to waking up the next morning feeling full and gross. There is one thing that always makes me feel better when this happens.

One thing I always tell my clients is to aim to drink 100 oz of water a day. I know it seems like a lot, but it is totally possible, and it will help. It will help to flush your system, keep you full so you don't eat a ton of junk, and is a great natural detox. A great signification that you are getting enough water is the color of your urine. Sounds gross...BUT...it should look light yellow, not dark. Drinking a lot of water can also help clear your skin and it will just make you feel better. Take the 100 oz challenge! See if you can get your water in everyday!

Are you a water drinker? Do you have to make a conscious effort to get your water in or do you drink a lot of water anyways?